Moss - Is it the best joint filler for brick patio or walkway?

If you’re thinking about installing a patio, you’ve probably heard different opinions on the best material for the joints. In more temperate areas, mortared brick can be installed on the ground without major extra work, but in Wisconsin’s climate, it’s important for a patio to have some flexibility to move with the freeze-thaw cycle. Ironically, this movement is exactly what contributes to a brick surface’s longevity. That’s why most brickwork in our area is dry-laid—meaning there’s no mortar between the joints.

So, if not mortar… what should go between the joints?

For most of history, coarse sand has been the go-to material. The angular grains create friction and interlock, helping to stabilize the bricks. It works well for this purpose, but over time, it can wash out. The best choice is usually coarse concrete sand (also called torpedo sand).

In recent years, a product called polymeric sand has gained popularity. It’s essentially sand with acrylic polymers that bind the grains together. These polymers come in two types: synthetic and “organic.” The key difference is that organic binders can soften and re-harden, whereas synthetic ones harden permanently.

The organic binders make sense in theory because, remember, unless a patio is built on a 4-foot-deep footing, it will always move to some extent in this climate. A joint material that can adapt by softening and re-hardening seems logical. The problem? Over time, unless the surface is kept perfectly clean, other materials get incorporated into the sand—weed seeds take hold, germinate, and create a bit of a mess.

Synthetic polymeric sand does a great job… until it doesn’t. After a several years, you sometimes end up with sections where the sand is still intact and others where it has crumbled.

As a contractor, I try to avoid over-promising. Expectations for polymeric sand tend to be high, but in reality, it’s not as easy to install as it sounds, it’s not a “forever” product, and when it fails, cleaning it off and replacing it is a hassle.

I’m not usually a fan of settling for “good enough,” but sometimes, accepting that there’s no perfect, no-maintenance solution in an outdoor setting is the better approach. A brick patio with sand joints might have some ants and occasional weeds, but it’s not the end of the world.

I recently heard a car commercial boasting that their vehicle was “highest in initial quality.” That made me pause. I’d rather have a car that’s the longest-lasting, most dependable, or most efficient. In some ways, polymeric sand is like that car—it offers impressive features while it lasts, but when it fails, the warranty probably won’t cover it.  

Top Five Problem Shrubs - Madison, WI

Shrubs are an essential element of a vibrant landscape. They add texture, fall color, spring and summer flowers and fragrance, etc.

Some shrubs, however, appear to belong but really don’t (or shouldn’t).

Honeysuckle - This invasive shrub is abundant all over Madison. Leathery green leaves and bright red berries make it appear as a decorative ornamental, but it should not be encouraged. The birds and animals love the berries and help to disperse them, making control of this plant even more difficult. You should be able to spot it as an invasive because it will leaf out before all of our native plants. The best strategy for removal is to dig or cut the stump as low as possible and apply a small amount of non-dilute herbicide to the cut. Resprouting is likely, so just be prepared for another treatment.

Japanese Knotweed - This highly invasive shrub-like perennial has striking white flowers and dramatic large heart-shaped leaves. The thick stems are hollow and usually red. It can grow up to ten feet tall in full sun. With such height and mass it has the ability to overcrowd and kill any smaller, native perennials in its path within a single season. Some are tempted to keep it for its unique appearance and attractive flowering structures, but there are many alternatives that would be healthier for your garden. Just ask us! Japanese Knotweed should be promptly attended to early in spring before its size becomes a deterrent. It is difficult to dig and will resprout from the tiniest root fragment, so the cut and treat method as described above is highly recommended. Remember to bag up refuse and dispose of properly. Composting Knotweed will only result in propagating more!

Common Barberry - Prized for its stunning fall colors and cute little “berries”, the barberry has won the hearts of many a gardener. Unfortunately, it is well on its way to taking over native expanses in woodlands and wetlands as well as disturbed areas. The Barberry is such a threat to Wisconsin landscapes that the DNR has deemed it a prohibited invasive species under rule NR 40. Their recommended control methods can be found in detail here.

Burning Bush - There are many types of non-fruiting (or almost sterile) burning bushes that are widely used in landscaping. These varieties pose very little threat to our Wisconsin natives. However the straight species Euonymus alatus as well as the cultivar ‘Nordine’ adapt too easily to poor conditions and spread too much seed to be trusted as a garden shrub. Fortunately, they can be pulled or dug up pretty easily depending on size and maturity. The bunnies will take care of any resprouting that may occur.

Buckthorn - A highly invasive, thorny small shrub-like tree that is found all around town.   The latin name, Rhamnus cathartica is due to the fruit causing the birds to have diarrhea and spread the seeds about - do they even get any nutritional benefit from it? If you already have buckthorn, the treatment process is the same as with Honeysuckle: cut, treat, repeat as needed.

Fungus Among Us

Are you seeing something yucky in your mulch?  Does it look like a baby puked?  Or maybe a dog barfed? OR MAYBE AN ALIEN??? (sorry)

or... Maybe you have some unidentified black spots on your siding or car that seem to have come out of nowhere?

These are reminders that as long as we live in nature there will be fungus among us.  Most fungus species are harmless, some are delicious, and nearly all have an incredible usefulness in nature.  

Fungi do some amazing things that scientists are learning more and more about every day.  If you wanna read something really cool check out http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20150202-six-bizarre-things-about-fungi:

But.... what about the dog-puke looking stuff in my yard?  Well - when weather conditions are just right, organic matter plus moisture combines with fungal spores that are just about everywhere in the environment, and….we start to get a few calls about what looks like dog puke in mulch beds. The technical name is Fuligo septics. Dog vomit slime-mold is a well-accepted common name. It typically dries up within a few days and the appearance is “less yucky”. To keep it from spreading, however, you can scrape it up and trash it, top dress mulch to cover the fungus, use a coarser mulch, or cross your fingers and pray it doesn't stay so moist.   You could also remove the organic mulch and replace with stone mulch - but before doing so read our wonderful blogpost "Why stone mulch is the worst."

When faced with this issue it’s probably best to remember the newly-coined Aspen proverb "Sometimes life gives you lemons, and sometimes it looks like a dog puked in your mulch." or… you could read this link: https://wimastergardener.org/article/dog-vomit-slime-mold-fuligo-septica/

Another funky fungus is called Artillery Fungus. It’s something we’ve seen more of in recent (moist) years. The most noticeable aspect of this isn’t the fruiting body itself, but the black spots that are “catapulted” throughout the area. They are especially noticeable on light colored siding - and they really stay stuck! For more info check this out http://rayhaluchinc.com/getting-rid-of-artillery-fungus/

For all of the anatomy fans out there, another “fun” fungus looks kinda sorta exactly like a gross phallus….So much so that I overheard someone calling it a “yucky dick-looking thing.” We won’t get into too much detail but they look especially gross when rotting. We’re a bit leery of linking to info on this on “the inter-webs” but feel free to google away such terms as “phallus mushroom,” “wiener fungus,” or whatever you like. You may, however, want to take care to not do this at work.

…Or, just keep your eyes open for a penis-looking ‘shroom near your petunias.… I saw one within a hundred feet of St Mary’s Hospital. It made me do a double-take.

Pretty Weedy

Sometimes "pretty" means "quite".  Sometimes it means "attractive".  In the case of creeping bellflower being "pretty weedy" it means both.  The plant was brought over from Europe as a garden gem.  It really looks nice in the right place in a garden. Unfortunately, it really likes living here and has a hard time staying in just one place.  The roots quietly creep through the garden, intertwining themselves with all the other plants and getting into every nook and cranny under walkways and in foundations.  

As a perennial weed it comes back and grows every year.  It grows into lawns and outcompetes many grass types even if mown.

Managing the spread of this weed is a challenge. Here are a few options:

Cut spent flowers and seed heads seeds off to control longer distance spread.  Weeding it out of a garden bed is fruitless unless the entire root system is removed.  It looks like a white carrot connected by spaghetti to the plant and other white carrots.  It's deep.  It's best to start in one area and dig vertically as deep as the shovel will go and  flop the soil out and work through it to remove all root fragments. Working from one edge of a garden to another works best.  It's often best to remove all desirable plants first and entirely wash their roots off in a 5 gallon bucket to ensure there are no bellflower roots.

This is labor intensive.  Results aren't 100%, and  new plants can germimate from any seed left in the ground.  a layer of mulch may help prevent seeds from germinating and establishing new plants

Chemical control isn't overly effective.  Even persistent  chemicals don't completely control it. Due to the strong root systems any non-systemic herbicide will be minimally effective. This means all or most of the more “environmentally-friendly” products will simple top-kill the plant and it will come back shortly.

Smothering with a thick layer of plastic covered in mulch is a less intensive option but it can take years to exhaust the root system’s will to live - and since the roots entwine anywhere possible they are often within lawn spaces and beyond the borders of a plant bed. This means they can survive and creep back in.

Before embarking on management it’s best to decide whether the goal is 100% eradication, managing the problem and keeping it from spreading, or other.   It's a time-consuming and long-term process to manage.   If you are in an area like Madison's near-west side where many of your neighbors likely have the weed it's likely not worth trying tp eradicate it entirely as it will likely spread back from the neighboring seed source.  If you are the only property-owner around to have it, or live out of town and near a natural area it is likely entirely worth the effort to keep it from spreading.

As a reminder, be careful when sharing plants with friends and neighbors. It’s a great thing to do but remember the soil may harbor weed seeds, invasive jumping worms or eggs, or other harmful life.  We often recommend washing all the soil off of roots and giving plants away bare root to reduce potential for spread.  It isn't always practical and is harder on the plants but is worth the effort. 

To learn more click here:  http://learningstore.uwex.edu/Assets/pdfs/A3924-05.pdf

A Few Spring Cleanup Tips for Madison, WI Homeowners

• Raking all the thatch out of the lawn can actually encourage more crabgrass to sprout. Keeping the seed shaded helps a good deal.

• Don’t compact soils - don't walk on soil or work soil when it's wet. Compacted soils can lead to weeds, less absorbtion of storm water, and unhealthy conditions for desirable plants

• Mulching early in the season- before plants emerge, will save work and reduce damage to plants. Late fall is another option as well.

• Have a nice edge to hold mulch in place. This can be a freshly cut lawn edge, or a physical border like steel, brick, poly, or stone.

• Don’t pile mulch against or close to the elevation of your siding. We recommend the top of mulch be 6” below the bottom of your siding. This will reduce potential for moisture and insect related issues. This is not always possible with older homes and low-to-the-ground homes like many of the ranches built in the 60’s in Madison, WI. Many homes need regrading to effectively shed moisture in the more intense storms we are experiencing.

• Prepare for mulching before having the mulch delivered. Over time, mulch builds up in a landscape bed - making it more mounded each year.  Over time, the beds can be so high that the mulch simply washes off into the lawn with the slightest rain or disturbance. One approach is to remove some of the decomposed material from the beds.

• If you have excess broken-down mulch in beds, we have had good success simply spreading a thin layer (about 1/2” or less) on lawn areas. This helps to break down any thatch layer in the lawn, add beneficial soil biology (living microbes, etc) to the lawn, level low spots, and add nutrients.

• Plan to overseed thin lawn areas around Labor Day - spring seeding may be effective but typically weed competition and summer drought wipe out new lawn plantings. Add some seed in early spring so it’s ready when conditions are favorable. Then plan to over-seed around Labor Day. Keep seed in a cool dry place to maintain viability.

• Don’t rush out to buy plants without a plan. Do your research first and measure your available spaces first or you’ll simply end up with a mix-match of plants that don’t work well.

Adding Winter Interest to the Landscape

This time of year landscapes can be a bit less inspiring.  We have a few ideas to help enhance your winter landscape:

    - Consider evergreens to provide some green - or explore those that have unique coloration. Chartreuse, bluish/greyish, or even copperish evergreens are available.  

    - Upright ornamental grasses may add more texture, color, and movement throughout the winter.

    - Providing habitat for animals and birds adds life to the dormant winter landscape.  Sources of water and food greatly encourage birds and the shelter of dense/ evergreen plants is critical for many species.  Leaving certain areas of a property less manicured can be beneficial both for the budget and animals.  

    - Berries can provide both a splash of color and food for birds and other wildlife.  Flowering crabs, viburnum (cranberry bush, etc), winterberry holly, and others are good options.

   - Low-voltage landscape lighting is another way to really enhance the winter landscape.  Landscape lighting is especially beneficial in winter since nights are so long.  Highlighting trees with unique form and adding a wash of light to highlight a home's architecture are two great choices.  Simply having something “intentional and bright” in the evening winter landscape is highly beneficial. 

    - Plants with interesting seed heads, colorful bark, and interesting form.

Hydrangea paniculata flower heads stay attractive throughout winter

Shearing isn't the only kind of pruning

Shearing shrubs and hedges can be appropriate in some settings- and with certain plants, but it shouldn't be the only kind of pruning you consider.

Shearing promotes density & a "witches broom" appearance on the outer edge of a shrub while entirely ignoring the inner structure of the plant.

We often see ornamental trees like flowering crabs planted near the entrance of a home.  They are left unpruned for several years until it becomes obvious that they will outgrow the space.  So they are sheared into balls.  The idea of shaping a plant is fine, but the problem is that when shearing, interior branches are not considered at all.  Major branches continue to grow and over time begin crossing and rubbing on each other in any breeze - this creates open wounds that can't heal.  Because the exterior of the trees are so dense there is no air flow and fungal diseases can flourish.

We strive to site plants where they will thrive and fit the space with minimal pruning.  That said, we think it's important to address structural concerns within the plant every few years to ensure it can live a healthy life and grow successfully.

UW-Extension has some good info on pruning available at https://hort.uwex.edu .  Take a look and feel free to let us know if you have any questions.